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Good Morning! We're taking over MO Farm Bureau Instagram for the day and taking you on a tour of our Christmas Tree Farm! We just opened for the season on Friday, November 23rd and had a record breaking opening weekend! Our farm and purpose for what we do is based on family. We've been in business for 30 years growing trees but we look at it as growing family traditions. Gathering the entire family to come out to the farm, riding the wagons, picking out their tree and visiting the Christmas shop is a staple for many families in our area. Year after year we've seen new families that are so excited they've found a new Christmas family tradition. Our annual ornament is a great way for families to add an extra special touch to their tradition. Steve designs a new ornament each year so they're all unique! We, as a family, look forward to the new design each year and our customers can't wait to see what he's come up with. This year we focused on celebrating 30 years. Thirty years to us means more than just being open. It is 30 years in agriculture, 30 years of family, 30 years sharing Christmas with others, and 30 years of growing family traditions! —— The Meier Family is taking over Missouri Farm Bureau’s Instagram page! We're Steve and Teresa Meier and we own Meier Horseshoe Pines in Jackson, MO! Along with our three sons and their families we own and operate a choose and cut Christmas Tree Farm. We also own Belgian horses that play a big role in our farm. #Christmas #Christmastree #familytraditions #familybusiness #familyfarm #traditions #holidays #missourifarm #agritourism #agriculture

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Our Belgian horses take center stage when it's time to get to the tree fields.  Vince and Moses are the lead team this year and are responsible for hauling hundreds of families to the fields.  Steve started in 1988 hauling families to the fields with a team of Belgians and we've continued with that year after year. We have four Belgian horses that get all the love, care, food and attention they could want! We've had to add a tractor over the years to give the horses some rest, but some people will only ride the horse drawn wagon.  Each team of horses typically runs a four hour shift.  While they're ready to keep working, we take great care of our livestock and want them to be well rested for the next day. ⁣ ⁣ This year we're borrowing Percheron team! Betty and Buster take the second shift of the day hauling families to the fields. ⁣ ⁣ ——⁣ ⁣ The Meier Family is taking over Missouri Farm Bureau’s Instagram page!⁣ ⁣ We're Steve and Teresa Meier and we own Meier Horseshoe Pines in Jackson, MO! Along with our three sons and their families we own and operate a choose and cut Christmas Tree Farm.  We also own Belgian horses that play a big role in our farm. ⁣ ⁣ #Belgianhorses #horse #Christmas #Christmastree #familytraditions #familybusiness #familyfarm #traditions #holidays #missourifarm #agritourism #agriculture ⁣

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Picking out the perfect tree can be quite the challenge.  We have 20 acres planted with trees and roughly 800 trees per acre, that's 16,000 trees! Of course, not all of them are for sale.  We plant trees every Spring and Fall.  We mainly plant with a tractor but also hand plant!  A good growing year will grow one foot per year.  It takes about 6-8 years to be considered full size and ready to be cut.  Like all farming, we have our challenges growing trees.  Weather, disease, variety and many other factors all play a role in their ability to grow. ⁣ ⁣ Every tree that is for sale on our farm is tagged.  We walk the fields to pick out and measure the best trees to tag for our customers.  Our trees are priced by the foot, based on variety and quality.  A big challenge we face is consumer education.  Customers don't always understand that it takes 6-8 years to grow a year, so to ensure we have years for sale next year we can't cut every tree down this year. ⁣ ⁣ ———⁣ ⁣ The Meier Family is taking over Missouri Farm Bureau’s Instagram page!⁣ ⁣ We're Steve and Teresa Meier and we own Meier Horseshoe Pines in Jackson, MO! Along with our three sons and their families we own and operate a choose and cut Christmas Tree Farm.  We also own Belgian horses that play a big role in our farm. ⁣ ⁣ #Christmas #Christmastree #familytraditions #familybusiness #familyfarm #traditions #holidays #missourifarm #agritourism #agriculture

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At Meier Horseshoe Pines we do it all for the customer, they just have to pick out their tree! Our field workers cut each tree, haul it to the wagons where it then heads to the barn for processing.  Once in the barn our guys will shake, drill and bale each year.  Shaking trees is an important step to get all the dead needles out of the tree.  We also line the trees up straight and drill each tree for our tree stands.  Trees are then baled in a netting so they can be easily transported!⁣ ⁣ ——— ⁣ ⁣ The Meier Family is taking over Missouri Farm Bureau’s Instagram page!⁣ ⁣ We're Steve and Teresa Meier and we own Meier Horseshoe Pines in Jackson, MO! Along with our three sons and their families we own and operate a choose and cut Christmas Tree Farm.  We also own Belgian horses that play a big role in our farm. ⁣ ⁣ #Christmas #Christmastree #familytraditions #familybusiness #familyfarm #traditions #holidays #missourifarm #agritourism #agriculture

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We keep busy at the farm selling Christmas trees but also making and selling greenery pieces.  Wreaths, cemetery pieces, table decorations, and garland are some of the many pieces we make and sell on the farm.  Each piece is individually decorated! We have a variety of items made for sale and we also continue to grow our custom orders.  Properly taken care of, these items will last until January or February! ⁣ ⁣ ——— ⁣ ⁣ The Meier Family is taking over Missouri Farm Bureau’s Instagram page!⁣ ⁣ We're Steve and Teresa Meier and we own Meier Horseshoe Pines in Jackson, MO! Along with our three sons and their families we own and operate a choose and cut Christmas Tree Farm.  We also own Belgian horses that play a big role in our farm. ⁣ ⁣ #Christmas #Christmastree #familytraditions #familybusiness #familyfarm #traditions #holidays #missourifarm #agritourism #agriculture

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Teresa's Christmas shop is a popular place on the farm! The walls are filled with ornaments, Christmas decorations, baked goods and more.  You'll always find something in the Christmas shop! Teresa started the Christmas shop operating out of their garage and in 1990 Steve and their three sons built her a retail shop! Teresa is always looking for unique, one of a kind items! She goes to the Atlanta market in the spring and brings back an assortment of new, fun stuff!⁣ ⁣ ———⁣ ⁣ The Meier Family is taking over Missouri Farm Bureau’s Instagram page!⁣ ⁣ We're Steve and Teresa Meier and we own Meier Horseshoe Pines in Jackson, MO! Along with our three sons and their families we own and operate a choose and cut Christmas Tree Farm.  We also own Belgian horses that play a big role in our farm. ⁣ ⁣ #Christmas #Christmastree #familytraditions #familybusiness #familyfarm #traditions #holidays #missourifarm #agritourism #agriculture

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Last year we offered a wreath decorating class and had an overwhelming response! This year has been the same.  People love coming to the farm, learning about how we make wreaths, making a bow, decorating tips and shopping in the Christmas shop! We love seeing the creativity everyone brings and their final designs!⁣ ⁣ ———⁣ ⁣ The Meier Family is taking over Missouri Farm Bureau’s Instagram page!⁣ ⁣ We're Steve and Teresa Meier and we own Meier Horseshoe Pines in Jackson, MO! Along with our three sons and their families we own and operate a choose and cut Christmas Tree Farm.  We also own Belgian horses that play a big role in our farm. ⁣ ⁣ #Christmas #Christmastree #familytraditions #familybusiness #familyfarm #traditions #holidays #missourifarm #agritourism #agriculture

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This year we have the honor of providing the Christmas Tree for the Missouri State Capitol! Steve and Teresa are presenting the governor a 15ft White Pine for this year's tree! This is the fifth time Meier Horseshoe Pines has provided the Christmas Tree to the state capitol.  It's such an honor to be chosen and represent our farm, Southeast Missouri and agriculture!⁣ ⁣ ———⁣ ⁣ The Meier Family is taking over Missouri Farm Bureau’s Instagram page!⁣ ⁣ We're Steve and Teresa Meier and we own Meier Horseshoe Pines in Jackson, MO! Along with our three sons and their families we own and operate a choose and cut Christmas Tree Farm.  We also own Belgian horses that play a big role in our farm. ⁣ ⁣ #Christmas #Christmastree #familytraditions #familybusiness #familyfarm #traditions #holidays #missourifarm #agritourism #agriculture #JeffersonCity #StateCapitol #MissouriCapitol

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